Auxiliary wheel support arm with inclination function

ABSTRACT

When a bicycle with no auxiliary wheel turns at a curve, the driver inclines the vehicle body to take balance, but in the case where an auxiliary wheel is mounted to the bicycle, the conventional support arm that connects the bicycle and the auxiliary wheel is not bent, and therefore, the vehicle body does not fall, but on the other hand, it is impossible to do the practice to take balance by inclining the vehicle body, and it has been difficult to learn the driving technique. Furthermore, when the auxiliary wheel rises on a little projection on the road surface, the rear wheel of the bicycle is separated from the road surface, and the rotation of the rear wheel is not transferred to the road surface, so that the running has become impossible. The present invention eliminates these disadvantages. An auxiliary wheel support arm with inclination function comprises: an auxiliary wheel support arm; and a bicycle support arm, wherein the auxiliary wheel support arm and the bicycle support arm connect the bicycle and the auxiliary wheel, the auxiliary wheel support arm partially overlapping with the bicycle support arm, the bicycle support arm and the auxiliary wheel support arm being vertically movably pivoted to each other at the end near to the bicycle in the overlap portion, the bicycle support arm and the auxiliary wheel support arm bound by a T-shaped binding bar and an elastic member in the overlap portion.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] This invention relates to a support arm for an auxiliary wheel of a bicycle wherein the support arm that connects the auxiliary wheel and the bicycle can be elastically bent to incline the bicycle.

[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0004] The conventional auxiliary wheel support arm could not be elastically bent. Considering that the basis of the driving technique of a bicycle is to take balance by inclining the vehicle body, it can be said that the conventional auxiliary wheel support arm wherein bending is impossible is nothing else but a falling preventing device of a bicycle.

[0005] Furthermore, such a device is also possible, whore the bicycle support arm and the auxiliary wheel support arm are not overlapped onto each other, and they are merely pivoted to each other, and the bicycle support arm and the auxiliary wheel support arm are connected with an elastic member, so that elastic bending is possible. However, it can be said that in the case of this device, when a force is applied to the auxiliary wheel in the back and forth direction of the traveling direction by the collision to an obstacle on the road of the auxiliary wheel or the like, the force is concentrated to the pivot part to deform the support arm at the pivot part in the back and forth direction, and such a problem that the traveling direction of the auxiliary wheel is changed to a direction different from the traveling direction of the bicycle is caused, and the device cannot be used unless special reinforcing means is made.

[0006] When a bicycle with no auxiliary wheel turns at a curve, the driver takes balance by inclining the vehicle body to the side of turning. However, in the case of the bicycle with an auxiliary wheel using a conventional support arm, the support arm cannot be bent and the vehicle body cannot be inclined, and therefore, it does not fall, but on the other hand, it has been difficult to learn the driving technique since the practice of taking balance by inclining the vehicle body cannot be done. Furthermore, there have been many beginners who let the bicycle fall just at the moment when the auxiliary wheel is removed, and who make it furthermore difficult to learn the driving technique because of the feeling of fear thereof. The present invention is made to eliminate these disadvantages.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007] The auxiliary wheel support arm with inclination function of the present invention has a vertically elastically bending part that is made at an intermediate way of the support arm connecting the bicycle and the auxiliary wheel.

[0008] That is, there is provided an auxiliary wheel support arm with inclination function comprising: an auxiliary wheel support arm; and a bicycle support arm, wherein said auxiliary wheel support arm and said bicycle support arm connect said bicycle and said auxiliary wheel, said auxiliary wheel support arm partially overlapping with said bicycle support arm, said bicycle support arm and said auxiliary wheel support arm being vertically movably pivoted to each other at the end near to the bicycle in the overlap portion, said bicycle support arm and said auxiliary wheel support arm bound by a T-shaped binding bar and an elastic member in the overlap portion.

[0009] When the auxiliary wheel support arm with inclination function of the present invention is used, it becomes possible to do the practice of taking balance by inclining the vehicle body, which is the basis of the driving technique of a bicycle. It is largely different from the conventional auxiliary wheel support arm in the points that while the conventional auxiliary wheel support arm is merely a falling preventing device, the auxiliary wheel support arm with inclination function of the present invention can be elastically bent, and it is possible to do the practice of taking balance by inclining the vehicle body, which is the basis of the driving technique of a bicycle, and therefore, it can be called a bicycle driving training tool.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010]FIG. 1 is a front view of the preferred embodiment. Furthermore, a back view of the preferred embodiment is symmetrically shown except for the part of the spiral spring;

[0011]FIG. 2 is a right side view of the preferred embodiment;

[0012]FIG. 3 is a left side view of the preferred embodiment;

[0013]FIG. 4 is a plan view of the preferred embodiment;

[0014]FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the preferred embodiment;

[0015]FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view of the part of a-a′ in FIG. 4 when the preferred embodiment is seen from the front;

[0016] FIG 7 is a cross sectional view of the part of b-b′ in FIG. 4 when the binding bar portion of the preferred embodiment is seen from the right side;

[0017]FIG. 8 is a front view of a bicycle support arm of the preferred embodiment. Furthermore, a back view of the bicycle support arm of the preferred embodiment is symmetrically shown;

[0018]FIG. 9 is a right side view of the bicycle support arm of the preferred embodiment;

[0019]FIG. 10 is a left side view of the bicycle support arm of the preferred embodiment;

[0020]FIG. 11 is a plan view of the bicycle support arm of the preferred embodiment;

[0021]FIG. 12 is a bottom view of the bicycle support arm of the preferred embodiment;

[0022]FIG. 13 is a front view of an auxiliary wheel support arm of the preferred embodiment. Furthermore, a back view of the auxiliary wheel support arm of the preferred embodiment is shown symmetrically;

[0023]FIG. 14 is a right side view of the auxiliary wheel support arm of the preferred embodiment;

[0024]FIG. 15 is a loft side view of the auxiliary wheel support arm of the preferred embodiment;

[0025]FIG. 16 is a plan view of the auxiliary wheel support arm of the preferred embodiment;

[0026]FIG. 17 is a bottom view of the auxiliary wheel support arm of the preferred embodiment;

[0027]FIG. 18 is a front view of the binding bar of the preferred embodiment Furthermore, a back view of the binding bar of the preferred embodiment is shown symmetrically;

[0028]FIG. 19 is a right side view of the binding bar of the preferred embodiment. Furthermore, a left side view of the binding bar of the preferred embodiment is shown symmetrically;

[0029]FIG. 20 is a plan view of the binding bar of the preferred embodiment; and

[0030]FIG. 21 is a bottom view of the binding bar of the preferred embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0031] The preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described below. First of all, at part of the intermediate way of the support arm connecting the bicycle and the auxiliary wheel, the bicycle support arm 1 positioned below and the auxiliary wheel support arm 2 positioned above are overlapped onto each other.

[0032] Then, at the part of the end near to the bicycle in the overlapped support arm parts, a hole 3 is pierced in the bicycle support arm 1, and a projection 4 is made at the end of the auxiliary wheel support arm 2, and the projection 4 is inserted into the hole 3, so that the vertically movable pivoting is made.

[0033] Then, a hole 5 and a hole 6 are pierced vertically coaxially in the bicycle support arm 1 and the auxiliary wheel support arm 2 at the overlapped support arm parts, respectively.

[0034] Then, a binding bar 7 in the form of a reversed “T” having a screw thread made at the upper part thereof is passed through the hole 5 and the hole 6 from the lower side.

[0035] Then, the T-shaped crossbar portion 18 of the binding bar 7 is made to cross the bicycle support arm 1 at right angles.

[0036] Then, projections 19 are made on both sides in the orthogonal direction along the hole 5 at the lower part of the bicycle support arm 1.

[0037] Then, a spring bracket 8, a spiral spring 9, and a spring bracket 10 are in turn put on the binding bar 7 from the upper side.

[0038] Then, a spring clamping nut 11 is attached to the screw thread part at the upper part of the binding bar 7.

[0039] The auxiliary wheel support arm with inclination function of the present invention can be elastically bent, and therefore, the beginner can do the practice of keeping balance by inclining the vehicle body without having anxiety of falling of the vehicle body. Accordingly, when the auxiliary wheel support arm with inclination function of the present invention is used, the learning of the bicycle driving technique becomes easier by leaps and bounds than that in the case where the conventional auxiliary wheel is used.

[0040] Furthermore, in the case of the bicycle with an auxiliary wheel using the conventional support arm that cannot be elastically bent, when the auxiliary wheel rides on a little projection on the road surface, the rear wheel of the bicycle is separated from the road surface, and the rotation of the rear wheel cannot be transferred to the road surface, and therefore, the running may become impossible, but if the auxiliary wheel support arm with inclination function of the present invention is used, the support arm can be elastically bent, and therefore, such an event does not occur.

[0041] Moreover, in the case of the preferred embodiment of the auxiliary wheel support arm with inclination function of the present invention, it is possible to control the strength of the spiral spring 9 and the maximum angle of bending of the support arm by adjusting the degree of clamping of the spring clamping nut 11. Accordingly, the state can gradually be adjusted from a state of the conventional auxiliary wheel support arm where the support arm cannot be bent to a state near the state where an auxiliary wheel whose support arm can largely be bent is not used, according to the degree of learning of the driving technique, and therefore, the learning of the driving technique becomes further easier.

[0042] Furthermore, when compared with the case of the prior art where the bicycle support arm and the auxiliary wheel support arm are not overlapped, and they are merely pivoted to each other, and the bicycle support arm and the auxiliary wheel support arm are connected with an elastic member, in the case of the auxiliary wheel support arm with inclination function of the present invention, the bicycle support arm and the auxiliary wheel support arm are overlapped onto each other and are united with an elastic member, and therefore, even if a force is applied onto the auxiliary wheel in the back and forth direction of the traveling direction, the force is not concentrated only to the pivoted part. Accordingly, even if the auxiliary wheel runs into an obstacle on the road and the force is applied onto the auxiliary wheel in the back and forth direction of the traveling direction, the support arm is deformed or damaged in the back and forth direction at the pivoted part, and it is hard to cause such a problem that the traveling direction of the auxiliary wheel is changed to a direction different from the traveling direction of the bicycle.

[0043] Moreover, in the case of the auxiliary wheel support arm with inclination function of the present invention, the crossbar portion 18 that is attached to the binding bar 7 like a “T” crosses the bicycle support arm 1 at right angles, and the above described crossbar portion 18 is held between the projections 19 of the bicycle support arm 1 to keep the crossing at right angles. Furthermore, the crossbar portion 18 is tightened in the direction of the bicycle support arm 1 with the spiral spring 9 mounted on the binding bar 7. As a result of this, the shift in the back and forth direction of the traveling direction of the auxiliary wheel support arm 2 that is caused by the collision to the obstacle on the road of the auxiliary wheel or the like is restored to the original state by tightening the clearance between the crossbar portion 18 and the bicycle support arm 1 that is caused by the inclination of the binding bar 7. That is, in the case of the auxiliary wheel support arm with inclination function of the present invention, not only the vertical force applied to the auxiliary wheel but also the force in the back and forth direction is absorbed and the state is restored to the original state, and therefore, the number of damages is greatly smaller than that in the case where the bicycle support arm and the auxiliary wheel support arm are not overlapped onto each other and are merely pivoted to each other.

[0044] Furthermore, in the case of the prior art where the bicycle support arm and the auxiliary wheel support arm are not overlapped onto each other and are merely pivoted to each other, it is impossible to gradually control the maximum angle of inclination, but on the contrary, in the case of the auxiliary wheel support arm with inclination function of the present invention, this can be done. This is a large difference in the point that it becomes easier for the beginner to learn the driving technique of a bicycle.

[0045] Furthermore, it seems at a first glance that the same effect as the present invention can be expected in such a way where the auxiliary wheel is mounted at the tip of a bicycle standing device and the elastic bending is made possible at the bicycle mounting part of the standing device, but it is not true. That is, if the auxiliary wheel is mounted merely at the tip of the bicycle standing device, the distance between the bicycle rear wheel shaft and the auxiliary wheel is fixed, and therefore, when the bicycle is inclined at a curve, the bicycle rear wheel floats up from the road surface by using the auxiliary wheel as the fulcrum, unless the auxiliary wheel slips laterally. This is a very dangerous problem. In the case of the auxiliary wheel support arm with inclination function of the present invention, the auxiliary wheel support arm can be bent to change the distance between the bicycle rear wheel shaft and the auxiliary wheel. That is, the auxiliary wheel moves up and down, and therefore, such a problem is not caused. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An auxiliary wheel support arm with inclination function comprising: an auxiliary wheel support arm; and a bicycle support arm, wherein said auxiliary wheel support arm and said bicycle support arm connect said bicycle and said auxiliary wheel, said auxiliary wheel support arm partially overlapping with said bicycle support arm, said bicycle support arm and said auxiliary wheel support arm being vertically movably pivoted to each other at the end near to the bicycle in the overlap portion, each of said bicycle support arm and said auxiliary wheel support arm having a hole pierced vertically coaxially in the overlap portion, a binding bar in the form of a reversed “T” being inserted into said holes from the lower side, the T-shaped crossbar portion of said binding bar crossing said bicycle support arm at right angles, projections being made at the lower part of said bicycle support arm along the holes on both sides in the orthogonal direction, an elastic member being put on said binding bar, and said binding bar having a stop for said elastic member. 